Memorial Day is a day that is set aside to remember, and honor, our brave soldiers who have given their lives to protect our land and keep us free. It began as a day to honor our Civil War dead, but after World War I, it was expanded to include our war dead from all the wars in which America was involved. Go to http://www.usmemorialday.org/ for more information.

According to http://www.historycentral.com/wars.html , our country has fought in 12 wars (not counting the Afghanistan War which brings the updated total to 13.) In every one of these cases, we have asked the young people of our nation to be willing to give their lives in the name of freedom (for us and others in foreign lands.) The sacrifices these young men and women have made can never be totally comprehended nor can they be repaid by us.

Just stop and think about a little of what these wonderful young people have given up for us. At the very least, they have given years of their life, time away from their families, to serve their country which they love. They have given us any chance of setting down “roots”, having to move from base to base once every 3 to 4 years. Many will be physically disabled the rest of their life, having the use of one or more of their limbs taken from them. Scores have been mentally disabled resulting in them being unable to handle day to day living. And thousands upon thousands have given the ultimate sacrifice, their life, so that we can continue to enjoy our lives living safely in a land of freedom.

We can never begin to understand what they went through, and are continuing to go through, all because they love their nation and the freedoms we take for granted everyday. We can never begin to repay them and their families for the sacrifices they have made for us. It seems as if saying “Thank You” just isn’t enough.

THE SCRIPTURE:

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

When a young man or woman chooses to enter military service, few fully appreciate the sacrifices they have offered to make. Instead, recruiters speak of adventure or educational benefits. And yet the United States of America’s highest military honor, the Medal of Honor, does not hide the truth. Most recipients receive the medal posthumously.

In a Christian nation, military service is about protecting family, friends and countrymen, and any nation where soldiers serve for Duty, Honor, Country is blessed.

18 thoughts on “A Memorial Day Devotion for Christians”

We are not a Chrtistian nation, being composed of many religions and our Founders having made clear that we honor the distinction between God’s World and that of secular life and governance. Nonetheless, in the United States, military service for all of our constituent religions reflects the same values that you identify for Christian nations (by the way, which nations do you include in that category?): “protecting family friends and countrymen.” It is a good thing that our country has these same values as the countries to which you refer.

Did I say we are a Christian nation? When we have a secular government that recognizes the individual’s freedom of conscience, how could we be a Christian nation? We must just be a nation founded by imperfect people who strived to be Christ-like. Thus, those who founded this nation provided for themselves a government compatible with their Christian morality, one that accepts the sovereignty of God over His creations. Otherwise, in 1787, that new government of the United States would have been like so many others, lead by a tyrannical king — just another land where the royal class grounded the peasants into the dirt.

Reblogged this on PUMABydesign001's Blog and commented:
Let us remember the men and women who serve our country and the sacrifice that it entails. We thank them this Memorial Day and ask God to bless all who gave so much for their country, their families, friends and loved ones.

Thank you those who have served, those who continue to serve and those who made the ultimate sacrifice. America thanks and asks that God bless you, your family, friends and loved ones.

Yes. You said “Christian nation” when you described military service. The Vatican is the closest thing I can think of these days that could be described as a “Christian Nation”, but I don’t quarrel with what I hope is your larger point; that military service in a Republic has a significant community/family/friends service element to it. That is one of the reasons it is an honourable profession.

You don’t give the Founders enough credit. They founded a government that was compatible with a very wide swath of religious views, including, but not limited to Christianity.

Scout – What you are demanding is paradoxical. In order for the soldiers of a Christian nation to behave as Christians, that nation has to put a Christian church in charge of its military services? If Christians put a Christian church in charge of the military (or the government), they would not be following Jesus’ example. He did not force others to practice His teachings. He left the choice of accepting salvation up to each individual. Therefore, it is because we are a Christian nation that we have a secular government and a secular military.

Because they don’t understand Christians believe salvation is a gift we must voluntarily choose to accept, many become confused when some call this a Christian nation. Yet to be Christians, we must follow the example of Christ, and Jesus did not use the government to Christianize society. It is non-Christians who use the government to force their beliefs on others.

Consider that many of our government leaders (Christians? Based upon their own words and deeds, I think not.) now think it their job to secularize society SO THAT THEY CAN use the power of government to force their beliefs and practices on others. Because of our Christian heritage, if Socialist Democrats are to accomplish their ends, they must set aside our Constitution and the traditional beliefs of the American People.

Someone is pretty confused here and I don’t think it is I. I don’t recall demanding anything and there ‘s no indication of that in the comments. I do take issue with the description of the United States as a “Christian nation.” But perhaps you were referring to some other country. I just can’t think of any country that would qualify these days. England, of course, has a constitutional monarch who is also head of the Church of England, but, demographically, I don’t think I would describe the UK as a “Christian nation.”

I’m not particularly worried about people setting aside the constitution in any formal sense. It has been a remarkably robust document. I do worry that a lot of people don’t really understand it or have any sincere investment in its protections. But that’s another story.

Good post and one we should all take heed of. Far too many Americans have no understand or respect of the sacrifice being given by the men and women who serve in our military. We would do well to consider that carefully.

I guess it doesn’t really fit, because I was responding to a phrase in your last paragraph, not the post as a whole. As I’ve now stated more than once, I think the “Christian nation” reference in that paragraph is mistaken if it is being applied to the United States. Your responses are that: 1) you didn’t say it and 2) that we shouldn’t have the church running the military, something that no one has advocated, at least not here.

You used the phrase. I took issue with it. It may be that you are referring to somewhere else. You have not clarified that point. In any event, your pyramid doesn’t seem to address this particular exchange. Thanks for the nice colors, though,

novascout – I never denied calling the United States a Christian nation. With obvious sarcasm, I asked a question, and I answered it. Then, when you brought up the Vatican, I explained further. Now you are just in denial. 🙂

You said “Did I say we were a Christian nation?” I guess that isn’t a full denial, but it seems to challenge the premise of my comment. I have responded directly by quoting the phrase that caught my attention.

A question that naturally arises from this is whether you or I can point to any nation on the globe that is a “Christian nation”. The best I could come up with is the Vatican, but that’s a bit lame, because I doubt that many of us would really consider the Vatican a “nation” in any commonly accepted parlance. (By the way, I missed your response/explanation to the Vatican issue – it somehow did not come through on my screen). England is worth talking about given that the Head of State is also the constitutional leader of the established Church. However, England is now so demographically diverse that I think it hard to sustain the case that it is a Christian nation.

“I hope we once again have reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There’s a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: as government expands, liberty contracts.” Ronald Reagan.